MATTHEWS INTERNATIONAL FUNDS OPERATING EXPENSES AGREEMENT
XXXXXXXX
INTERNATIONAL FUNDS
OPERATING EXPENSES AGREEMENT
OPERATING EXPENSES AGREEMENT
THIS
OPERATING EXPENSES AGREEMENT (the
“Agreement”) is effective as of the
14th
day of November 2003, by and between XXXXXXXX INTERNATIONAL FUNDS, a
Delaware statutory trust (hereinafter called the “Trust”), on behalf of each
series of the Trust
listed in Appendix
A
hereto, as may be amended from time to time (hereinafter referred to
individually as a “Fund” and collectively as the “Funds”), and XXXXXXXX
INTERNATIONAL
CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC, a limited liability company organized and existing
under the laws of the State of Delaware (hereinafter called the “Advisor”).
WITNESSETH:
WHEREAS,
the Advisor renders advice and services to the Funds pursuant to the terms
and
provisions of the Investment Advisory Agreements between the Trust and the
Advisor dated December 4, 1998, December 30, 1988, October 15, 1999 and October
31, 2003
(collectively, the “Investment Advisory Agreement”); and
WHEREAS,
the Funds are responsible for, and have assumed the obligation for, payment
of
certain expenses pursuant to the Investment Advisory Agreement that have not
been
assumed by the Advisor; and
WHEREAS,
the Advisor desires to limit the Funds’ respective Operating Expenses
(as
that
term is defined in Paragraph 2 of this Agreement) pursuant to the terms and
provisions of this Agreement, and the Trust (on behalf of the Funds) desires
to
allow the Advisor
to implement those limits;
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NOW
THEREFORE, in consideration of the covenants and the mutual promises
hereinafter
set forth, the parties hereto, intending to be legally bound hereby, mutually
agree as
follows:
1. Limit
on Operating Expenses. The
Advisor hereby agrees to limit each Fund’s Operating
Expenses to the respective annual rate of total Operating Expenses specified
for
that
Fund
in Appendix A
of this Agreement (the “Expense Caps”).
2.
Definition.
For
purposes of this Agreement, the term “Operating Expenses” with respect to a Fund
is defined to include all expenses necessary or appropriate for the operation
of the Fund including the Advisor’s investment advisory or management fee as
described
in the Investment Advisory Agreement, and other expenses described in the
Investment Advisory Agreement, but does not include any Rule 12b-1 fees,
front-end or contingent deferred loads, taxes, interest, brokerage commissions,
short sale dividend expenses, expenses incurred in connection with any merger
or
reorganization or extraordinary expenses
such as
litigation.
3. Reimbursement
of Fees and Expenses. The
Advisor, pursuant to the Investment
Advisory Agreement, retains its right to receive reimbursement of reductions
of
its
investment advisory fee and Operating Expenses paid by it that are not its
responsibility as described
in the Investment Advisory Agreement.
4. Recoupment
Balance.
Any fee
reduced by the Advisor, or Operating Expenses
paid by it (collectively, “subsidies”), pursuant to this Agreement may be
reimbursed
by a Fund to the Advisor no later than the end of the third fiscal year
following the
year
to which the subsidy relates if the aggregate expenses for that period do not
exceed any
more
restrictive limitation to which the Advisor has agreed (subsidies available
for
reimbursement
to the Advisor under this paragraph are collectively referred to as the
“Recoupment
Balance”) and the Board of Trustees approves the reimbursement.
For
2
example,
subsidized Operating Expenses relating to the period September 1, 2002 through
August 31, 2003 would no longer be eligible for reimbursement after September
1,
2006. The Advisor generally seeks reimbursement on a rolling three-year basis
whereby the oldest subsidies are recouped first. The Advisor may not request
or
receive reimbursement of the Recoupment Balance before payment of the Fund’s
operating expenses for the current year and cannot cause the Fund to exceed
the
Expense Cap or any other agreed upon expense limitation
for that year in making such reimbursement. The Advisor agrees not to request
or
seek
reimbursement of subsidized Operating Expenses that are no longer eligible
for
reimbursement.
5. Term.
This
Agreement shall become effective on the date specified herein and shall
remain in effect until August 31, 2004, unless sooner terminated as provided
in
Paragraph
6 of this Agreement. This Agreement shall continue in effect thereafter for
additional periods not exceeding one (1) year so long as such
continuation is approved for each Fund at least annually by the Board of
Trustees of the Trust (and separately by the disinterested Trustees of the
Trust).
6.
Termination.
This
Agreement may be terminated at any time by the Trust on behalf
of
any one or more of the Funds or by the Board of Trustees of the Trust, upon
sixty (60)
days’ written notice to the Advisor without payment of any penalty. The Advisor
may decline to renew this Agreement by written notice to the Trust at least
thirty (30) days before its annual expiration date.
7. Assignment. This
Agreement and all rights and obligations hereunder may not be
assigned without the written consent of the other party.
8. Severability. If
any
provision of this Agreement shall be held or made invalid by
a
court decision, statute or rule, or shall be otherwise rendered invalid, the
remainder of this Agreement shall not be affected thereby.
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9. Captions. The
captions in this Agreement are included for convenience of reference
only and in no way define or limit any of the provisions hereof or otherwise
affect their
construction of effect.
10. Governing
Law. This
Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance
with, the laws of the State of California without giving effect to the conflict
of laws
principles thereof; provided that nothing herein shall be construed to preempt,
or to be inconsistent
with, any federal law, regulation or rule, including the Investment Company
Act
of 1940, as amended, and the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, and
any rules and
regulations promulgated thereunder.
IN WITNESS
WHEREOF, the
parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed
and attested by their duly authorized officers, all on the day and year first
above written.
XXXXXXXX INTERNATIONAL FUNDS | XXXXXXXX INTERNATIONAL CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC | |||
By: | /s/ Xxxxxx Xxxxxx | By: | /s/ G. Xxxx Xxxxxxxx | |
Name: | Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx | Name: | G. Xxxx Xxxxxxxx | |
Title: | Secretary | Title: | Chairman and Chief Investment Officer | |
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Appendix
A
(updated October 31, 2003)
(updated October 31, 2003)
Fund |
Operating
Expense Limit |
Effective
Date
|
|||
•
|
Xxxxxxxx
Pacific Tiger Fund
|
1.90%
|
September
12, 1994
|
||
•
|
Xxxxxxxx
Asian Growth and Income Fund
|
1.90%
|
September
12, 1994
|
||
•
|
Xxxxxxxx
Korea Fund
|
2.00%
|
April
3, 2002
|
||
•
|
Xxxxxxxx
China Fund
|
2.00%
|
February
19, 1998
|
||
•
|
Xxxxxxxx
Japan Fund
|
2.00%
|
December
31, 1998
|
||
•
|
Xxxxxxxx
Asian Technology Fund
|
2.00%
|
December
27, 1999
|
||
•
|
Xxxxxxxx
Asia Pacific Fund
|
1.90%
|
October
31, 2003
|
XXXXXXXX INTERNATIONAL FUNDS | XXXXXXXX INTERNATIONAL CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC | |||
By: | /s/ Xxxxxx Xxxxxx | By: | /s/ G. Xxxx Xxxxxxxx | |
Name: | Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx | Name: | G. Xxxx Xxxxxxxx | |
Title: | Secretary | Title: | Chairman and Chief Investment Officer | |
Date: | November 14, 2003 | Date: | November 14, 2003 |
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